Egypt’s Sisi first to undergo medical exam required for presidential candidacy

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took on Tuesday the medical examination that is required for candidates in the nation’s presidential elections scheduled for March, state-owned agency MENA reported.

Sisi is the first to undergo the check-up, and it comes just a few days after his announcement on Friday that he intends to run for a second term as the nation’s leader. He announced his candidacy at a conference highlighting the accomplishments of the Egyptian state since he came to power in 2014.

According to the National Elections Authority (NEA), presidential hopefuls must take a medical examination – both physical and mental – by the General Administration for Specialized Medical Councils.

According to the NEA regulations: “The General Administration for Specialized Medical Councils shall prepare a medical report on the results of the medical examination, both physical and mental, for each Applicant for Candidacy. The report shall include a statement on whether the Applicant for Candidacy is affected by a physical or mental disorder that undermines his/her ability to discharge the functions of the President of the Republic.”

In order to qualify for the elections, candidates must receive endorsements from a minimum of 20 MPs, or 25,000 citizens from at least 15 governorates, with at least 1,000 endorsements from each governorate.

The presidential elections are set to take place 26-28 March, with a possible run-off scheduled for 24-26 April. If no run-offs are necessary, the winner will be announced on 2 April.

Several other people have also announced their candidacy for president, including the former army chief-of-staff Sami Anan, prominent rights lawyer Khaled Ali, and lawyer and Zamalek Sporting Club chairman Mortada Mansour.

Source: Ahram online